The Champions League knockout phase play-offs are quickly becoming one of the most exciting parts of Europe’s top club competition.
This new stage in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League gives teams that finish outside the top eight in the league phase one last chance to make it to the Round of 16. In February 2026, 16 teams will play in this two-legged play-off round to see which teams move on to the knockouts.
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Newcastle United, Juventus, Atalanta, and Benfica are some of the clubs that will be in the play-off draw. The upcoming matches will be very important, with a lot of competition and strategy as Europe’s mid-table teams fight for survival and glory.
ALSO READ: Benfica vs Real Madrid: Mourinho’s Benfica Stun Real Madrid 4-2
This article will tell you everything you need to know about the Champions League knockout phase play-offs, including how it works, who is involved, why they are important, and what fans can expect as the action unfolds.
What Are the Champions League Knockout Phase Play-offs?
The Champions League knockout phase play-offs are a new round that UEFA added to its competition format. It turned the old group stage into a single 36-team league phase.
The top eight teams go straight to the Round of 16 after playing eight games (four at home and four away) against different teams. The teams that finish ninth through twenty-fourth don’t automatically move on. Instead, they are put into a two-legged knockout phase play-off to find the last eight spots in the last-16 stage.
The goal of this change was to make the league phase more competitive, so that more games would matter and more clubs would have meaningful European matches all the way through the end of January.
How Do the Play-offs Work?
The 16 teams that make it to the knockout phase of the Champions League are divided into seeded and unseeded groups based on how they performed in the league phase. Teams that finish 9th to 16th get seeds, while teams that finish 17th to 24th don’t.
The draw puts a seeded team against an unseeded team, usually a team that is higher up in the standings against one that is lower down. The winners are decided over two legs, one at home and one away. The seeded team will usually host the second leg, which can help them win tie-breaks.
The eight teams that win the Champions League knockout phase play-offs move on to the Round of 16. There, they join the eight teams that automatically made it by finishing in the top eight of the league table.
When Are the Play-offs Played?
There will be two match periods in February 2026 for the Champions League knockout phase play-offs:
- First legs: February 17–18, 2026
Second legs: February 24–25, 2026.
The official Round of 16 draw will take place on February 27, 2026, after the play-offs are over. The next knockout round will start in March.
Which Teams Are Playing in the Playoffs?
The following teams will compete in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs in 2025-26:
Teams that are seeded:
- Real Madrid (ESP)
- Inter Milan (ITA)
- Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
- Newcastle United (ENG)
- Juventus (Italy)
- Atlético Madrid (Spain)
- Atalanta (ITA)
- Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Teams that are not seeded:
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Olympiacos (Greece)
- Club Brugge (BEL)
- Galatasaray (TUR)
- Monaco (FRA)
- Qarabağ (AZE)
- Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
- Benfica (POR)
These matchups promise exciting games and possible surprises, with big teams like Real Madrid and PSG entering the playoffs instead of directly qualifying. This is an early sign of how unpredictable UEFA’s new league phase can be.
Why the Play-offs Matter
There are a number of reasons why the Champions League knockout phase play-offs are important:
1. Extended Competition for More Teams
The new format gives 16 teams a second chance to win the Champions League instead of eliminating half after the league phase. That means that more clubs stay involved later in the season, which keeps fans interested all over Europe.
2. Drama and a reason to compete
During the league phase, the play-offs make competition more important because finishing just inside the play-off spots can still lead to Champions League success. This unpredictability is shown by dramatic situations like Benfica’s late qualification.
3. Broader Fan Interest
Clubs that might have left European competition now have a second chance. This keeps fans interested for longer, cuts down on “dead” matches, and boosts TV ratings and attendance all the way through the winter.
Historical Context and New Format Impact
UEFA’s choice to add more teams to the competition and the Champions League knockout phase play-offs is part of a larger effort to change one of football’s most famous tournaments.
The league phase format replaced the old group stage to make a more unified ranking system. Now, all clubs play a range of opponents, and the results all go into one table.
ALSO READ: Tammy Abraham Aston Villa: Abraham Returns to Villa Park
Because of this structure, teams that aren’t in the traditional “elite eight” won’t be eliminated early. Instead, they’ll have a thrilling, high-stakes showdown in the play-offs for a chance to move on to the Round of 16.
Some traditionalists are worried about how complicated the new format is, but a lot of fans like the Champions League knockout phase play-offs because they make every matchday more important and keep more teams alive in Europe longer.
Potential Matchups and Key Contenders
The draw will decide the exact matchups for the Champions League knockout phase play-offs, but fans can expect big matches between clubs like Real Madrid, PSG, and Newcastle, all of which finished in the 9-24 range.
Real Madrid’s surprising drop into the playoffs after a shocking loss to Benfica in the league phase finale shows how competitive the new format has become. At the same time, teams like Juventus and Atalanta will try to use their experience in Europe to break early ties.
Benfica also made it to the playoffs with a dramatic late win that shook up the standings and showed how exciting and unpredictable this stage can be.
Strategic Considerations for Clubs
To get through the Champions League knockout phase play-offs, coaches and players need to be both mentally strong and tactically disciplined. Teams must find a balance between offense and defense, deal with away goals (which are no longer a factor in UEFA competitions), and get ready for high-pressure situations.
Injuries, travel plans, and duties in the domestic league make things even more complicated. In this exciting knockout phase, clubs that can rotate players well and keep their momentum going into February are more likely to do well.
Looking Ahead: The Path to the Round of 16
After the Champions League knockout phase play-offs are over, the eight winning teams will move on to the Round of 16. They will join the top eight teams from the league phase.
After that, Europe’s elite clubs will play through the usual knockout rounds: the Round of 16, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the final, which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30, 2026.
The stakes get higher with each round, but the excitement of the play-offs and the bigger story they tell make the UEFA Champions League the best club football competition.
Conclusion
The Champions League knockout phase play-offs are a thrilling new twist on Europe’s top club competition. The playoffs were made to give more teams a chance to win after the league phase. They combine drama, strategy, and real competition in a way that keeps fans interested all winter and beyond.
This stage is set for unforgettable football moments, whether giants like Real Madrid want to bounce back from early setbacks or underdogs like Benfica want to keep their dream runs going. As February gets closer and the draws happen, all eyes will be on Europe’s biggest arenas as teams try to win one dramatic tie at a time.
